Where Friends are Family

Two Gahanna businesses enrich the lives of those they assist and the greater community

By Dan Pearlman

“S pread some love around.”

That is Andy Arnold’s motto – four words that he lives by every day. It’s what he does when he is out in the community, or participating in activities at the new Creative Options facility, in Gahanna, which provides services for adults with disabilities.

“God put me on Earth to spread some love around, and I’m doing that,” he said. “I want to make everybody happy, cheer them up, and go out in the community and make new friends.”

In recent weeks, Arnold has made friends at the Gahanna Senior Center, by playing bocce and bingo with some of the members. He’s cheered up a senior citizen, by helping her with her garden. These, just two of the many activities he has done with the help of Creative Options.

Danielle Abel is the owner of Creative Options. Prior to the pandemic, she and her team ran a program that largely focused on the behavioral needs of individuals with disabilities. Recognizing the need for services that benefit adults with any type of disability, however, they opened Creative Options’ first brick and mortar facility in May on Officenter Place.

“That’s where we were before, in the Gahanna area, and so it was where people knew us and where we knew a lot of people,” she said. “It felt like the right place for us to be.”

The Creative Options building includes a computer lab, art room, greenhouse, fitness area, learning center, sensory room and much more, all of which are used for the onsite programming that is offered. The team also offers a community inclusion program.

“Onsite, we’re focused more on building goals, doing different activities, learning skills and motivating our participants to be independent," said Fallon Kline, the Onsite Program Director.

Shoko Yoshitake is the Community Inclusion Program Director for Creative Options, focused on making connections between program participants, local businesses and the greater community.

“I’m extremely excited because as I started reaching out to different organizations, it [Gahanna] has been such a warm and welcoming community,” Yoshitake said. “I feel like it is truly a place where we can collaborate, really advocate for inclusion, and really work with society as well.”

While the center’s programming continues to evolve, Yoshitake notes that the diversity of activities help participants discover different interests and opportunities to which they had not been previously exposed.

“I love going out to different places and meeting a bunch of new friends,” Arnold explained. “They are so awesome. We help them out. They love it and we love it.”

While Arnold is a participant at Creative Options, he is also a Friend at all R friends, which has its Gahanna location on Science Boulevard.

A family run business, all R friends started in 2009 out of the Westerville Church of the Nazarene. It has since grown to six locations, including the Gahanna facility, which opened in 2013. Their business name, which highlights the “R,” pays loving homage to Ralph “Ralphie” Joseph George, the younger brother of CEO and Founder, Kathy Cook. Ralphie had multiple disabilities and spent most of his life in a wheelchair before passing away in 2001.

“He was a very social guy, and the Special Olympics was his big thing,” said all R friends Executive Director Ryan Cook. “He got to meet a lot of friends while bowling and swimming, so when we started all R friends, it was in memory of Ralphie, and the crayon drawing in our logo was the last picture he drew for my mother before he passed.” all r friends supports adults with developmental disabilities, and participants are referred to as “friends” rather than clients. The growing business offers day support out of its Gahanna facility, which includes a gym with a full-size basketball hoop, kitchen, computer room, sensory room, workout space, activities room and more. Additionally, all R friends offers a Supported Living Division where staff members travel to the friends’ homes and assist with different tasks, such as taking them to doctor appointments and the grocery store, or lending a hand with cleaning and laundry.

“We also have a Supported Employment Division, which is our third division, and that is where we help individuals get jobs either out in the community or in one of our facilities, depending on where they’re at with their employment skills,” Cook explained.

Among the Gahanna businesses that employs friends is 104.9 The River. “Friend” DaVaughn Browder and some of his fellow friends perform janitorial work for the station, which helps to foster independence. When he’s not working, Browder can sometimes be found working on his comic books or playing basketball at all R friends.

“I enjoy basketball a lot because it’s the best activity,” he said. “Sometimes I do bowling. I do a little bit of fitness work like the coaches do too, like arm circles and jumping jacks. We do butterflies, leg stretches, pushups and everything.”

Similar to Creative Options, community outings are a big part of the all R friends’ programming.

“A lot of our individuals are working on being more social and getting out there and meeting new people,” said Cook. “Left to their own devices, a lot of them would just choose to stay at home, watch TV and not go out, so we’re trying to show them that there’s more to life. You can go to Clippers games and go to COSI to learn about science. You can go horseback riding, swimming and to movie theaters, so we take them to all those fun places.”

In addition to providing fun and educational opportunities for those who are part of their programs, both all R friends and Creative Options are looking to add staff as they grow in Gahanna and beyond.

Those interested in joining their teams are urged to apply for the opportunity to spread some love around, giving them a chance to form lasting relationships with participants like Arnold.

“The staff is awesome,” he said. “They treat me with respect and I like it. Shoko and them are not just my staff and my friends, but all of the participants are my family. All of them are my family and I love them all.”